The Ongoing Rollback of Human Rights For Women

The rights guaranteed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are quickly being eroded in the United States.

In an assault on women, the Trump Administration has announced proposed changes that will severely curtail women’s autonomy. 

The administration announced that it is reviewing rolling back a rule that mandates employers who provide health insurance to cover birth control.  Closely held businesses employers were found exempt from the mandate in the Hobby Lobby decision based upon religious freedom. This executive order expands the exemption to all employers who decline to cover birth control upon grounds of conscience, that is religious grounds.  This action, under cover of religious freedom, greatly expands employer choice while further limiting women's reproductive choices. The disdain and disregard in which this administration holds women has never been subtle.  This latest assault particularly affects poor women.  In completing the cover sheet that will accompany the rollback, the administration responded “no” to the query as to whether the change would be economically significant.  

The administration has demonstrated its inability to understand circumstances of those who live outside of the white, wealthy circles in which the president confines himself.  Women of the 1% are unlikely to experience adverse consequences of this rollback.  While wealthy women are more likely to enjoy expansive health benefits, the out of pocket cost of birth control will not force them to make difficult budget choices.  Forcing lower income women to choose between food and birth control or transportation to work and birth control, removes from them one of the few “choices” they have.  The economic impact is significant.

While attending the January Women’s March, I saw an older woman carrying a sign pronouncing “I’m too old to be demonstrating against this *s__t* ”  I get it.  We thought we had won this battle in the 70’s.   Mad Men is back.